Figure



July 14, 1964 LJGOODMAN MULTI wALL. INSULATING RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet1 Original Filed July 21, 1959 July 14, 1964 GOODMAN MULTI-WALLINSULATING RECEPTACLE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed July 21 1959United States Patent 25,618 MULTI-WALL INSULATING RECEPTACLE LeonardGoodman, Kings Point, N.Y., assignor to Foster Grant (30., Inc.,Leorninster, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Original No. 3,082,900,dated Mar. 26, 1963, Ser. No. 828,550, July 21, 1959. Application forreissue June 20, 1963, Ser. No. 295,263

8 Claims. (Cl. 22!i15) Matter enclosed in heavy brackets appears in theoriginal patent but forms no part of this reissue specification; matterprinted in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

This invention relates to a multi-wall, viz. double-wall, insulating andsubstantially rigid receptacle adapted to be used as a drinking cup forserving either hot or cold liquids.

Copending with this application is the application Serial No. 828,542 oflack Bloch simultaneously filed with, and having the same assignee as,this application on July 21, 1959, entitled, Fluted InsulatingReceptacle.

Heretofore, multi-wall receptacles adapted for use as drinking cups havebeen formed from treated paper web materials or from organic plasticmaterials and have included mechanical structural component featuressuch as mating circumferential bead structures or lip and groove sealingstructures as means for interengaging or fitting one vessel or containerwithin another vessel to form a doublewall receptacle or container, and,in addition, such prior multi-wall receptacles have includedcircumferential bead structures for ensuring interengagement of thenested or interfitted vessels. Generally speaking, with respect toheretofore known receptacles of this nature fabricated from treated oruntreated paper or organic plastic materials, the lip portions of therespective vessels are rolled to form such circumferentially extendingbead structures. As to the prior art treated or untreated papermulti-wall receptacles and to those receptacles around which arepositioned a fixedly attached coaster-type holding means, additionalsecuring means such as straps or adhesive compositions applied tovarious portions of one or both component parts are required to ensureinterengagement of said parts. In those prior art multi-wall receptaclesfabricated from organic plastic materials such as polyethylene,generally speaking, the respective inner and outer component vesselshave smooth side walls of relatively large thickness to ensure rigidity,and this especially at the portions thereof having mating lip and groovesealing structures. With respect to those prior art multi-wallreceptacles fabricated from organic plastic materials adapted to be usedas drinking cups where it has not been desirable to remove periodicallythe inner vessel from the outer vessel, the respective inner and outervessels likewise have, generally speaking, smooth side walls and thepermanent engagement of the respective vessels has been brought about bythe use of adhesive compositions.

From the foregoing, it is readily apparent with respect to those priorart multi-wall receptacles, particularly those adapted for use asdrinking cups for the partaking of hot or cold liquids, fabricated fromorganic plastic materials that where good thermal insulatingcharacteristics are obtained rigidity of said structure is usuallysacrificed and that rigidity such as that attained with a multiwallreceptacle fabricated from an inorganic material such as ordinary glassis not obtained. For example, the organic plastic materials generallyutilized are flexible and resilient but distortable and are, when usedto fabricate the smooth-wall vessels which make up the multi- Wallreceptacle, readily and easily distortable. As is Re. 25,618 ReissuedJuly 14, 1964 ice quite apparent, with such readily and easilydistortable side walls, the outer vessel side wall is easily and readilyurged into contact with the inner vessel side wall upon handling duringthe partaking of the contents thereof.

I here provide for the first time organic plastic material multi-wallreceptacles, adapted to be used as drinking cups, which are boththermally insulating and rigid during handling in the partaking of thecontents thereof.

The multi-wall thermally insulating and rigid receptacle of my inventioncomprises a cup-shaped outer vessel and a substantially similarly shapedinner vessel positioned within the outer vessel, each being fabricatedof an organic plastic material. The outer vessel has side wall flutes,preferably for the greater portion of its height, thereby addingstrength to the overall structure and thereby forming a plurality ofsubstantially adjacent similarly shaped air spaces between therespective side walls of the vessels and an air space between therespective bottom walls of the vessels. The lowermost portions of theflutes can or cannot touch the outer side wall surface of the innervessel. In every instance where said lowermost portions do contact saidsurface, the component structure becomes more rigid, and this is sowhether said lowermost portions contact said surface in the structure asformed or in the structure as used. [The] Suitably, the outer vessel hasan outwardly turned or extending substantially flat lip therearound atits top edge, and the inner vessel also has an outwardly turned orextending substantially flat lip therearound at its top edgecomplementary with respect to said outer vessel lip. In combination, theinner vessel flat lip is in contact with and positioned directlyadjacent to said outer vessel lip and attached, preferably by heatsealing, to said outer vessel lip. In assembling the two vessels, theinner vessel is merely inserted within the outer vessel, and the innervessel circumferentially outwardly extending lip is positioned over andcontacts at all points of its bottom surface the circumferentiallyoutwardly extending outer vessel lip, thereby being suspended in andpositioned in said outer vessel. Also within the scope of my inventionare included circumferentially extending fluted structures.

The materials of construction of my multi-wall receptacle are organicplastic materials including thermoplastic materials, and a preferredmaterial is polystyrene. For example, one of the vessels can be formedfrom general purpose polystyrene and the other vessel can be formed fromhigh impact strength polystyrene, or both vessels can be fabricated fromsaid high impact strength polystyrene. High impact polystyrene includesa physical blend of polystyrene and natural or synthetic rubber and agraft copolymer of styrene upon a synthetic or natural rubber, thesynthetic or natural rubber being present in the amount of approximatelythree to twenty, and preferably about seven, percent, the impactstrength [oft his] of this material, viz. the number of foot-poundsrequired for the fracture of a test specimen in accordance with thewidely accepted Izod test for the determination of impact strength,being between 0.3 and 1.5 and preferably between 1.0 and 1.2.

An object of my invention is to provide a high strength multi-wallinsulating and rigid receptacle adapted to be used as a drinking cupfrom an organic plastic material which effectively thermally insulatesthe cup contents and is rigid during handling.

Another object of my invention is to provide a high strength multi-wallinsulating drinking cup which can be easily and economically producedand still be strong and rigid during use.

Other objects and features will become readily apparent from thefollowing detailed description which is not inv1.9 tended to be limitingbut is set forth merely to show the preferred embodiments.

FIGURE 1 is a view in perspective of one embodiment of my multi-wallinsulating drinking cup.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of my multi-wall insulating drinking cupshown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view similar to that ofFIGURE 3.

FIGURE 6 is a showing of a segment of a circle.

FIGURE 7 is a View in perspective of another embodiment of my multi-wallinsulating drinking cup.

FIGURE 8 is an exploded view of the embodiment of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 1010 of FIGURE9.

More specifically, with respect to the embodiment of FIGURE 1,multi-wall cup 2 consists of the inner vessel 4 and the outer vessel 6,each preferably being substantially cylindrically shaped. Said innervessel 4 and said outer vessel 6 are similarly shaped, as is clearlyshown in the appended drawings. Integral with the inner vessel 4 is thecircumferentially outwardly extending substantially flat lip 8, andintegral with the outer vessel 6 is the circumferentially extendingsubstantially flat lip 10 complementary with respect to lip 8 and incontact with and attached to lip 8. The bottom wall 12 of inner vessel 4is preferably flat, as shown, but can be otherwise shaped, and thebottom wall 14 of the outer vessel 6 is preferably concave, as clearlyshown in the appended drawings, but may be otherwise shaped.

The side wall 16 of outer vessel 6 is provided with outwardly verticallyextending flutes 18. Each of said flutes 18 has the configuration of anequal segment of the same circle, as clearly shown, and the edges 20, 20of each flute substantially coincides with the respective edge of thedirectly adjacent flute 18. Now, with respect to FIGURE 6, the segment100 of circle 102 is clearly shown, the segment 100 being shown in afull line and the circle 102 being shown in dotted lines. The chord 104of segment 100 is shown by a full line, and said segment 100 has thelowermost edges 106, 106. FIG- URE 6 is here introduced merely forpurpose of clearly explaining the configuration of said outwardlyextending flutes 18. Each of said flutes 18 has the configuration ofsegment 100, and there are thereby formed the plurality of air spaces 22between the respective side walls 16 and 24 of the outer and innervessels 6 and 4 and the air space 26 between the bottom walls 14 and 12.As is clearly shown in the appended drawings, the innermost andoutermost portion 28 of each outwardly extending flute is spaced fromthe wall 24 of inner vessel 4. The edges 20, 20 may or may not contactthe side wall 24 of the inner vessel 4. In every instance where saidedges 20 do contact the side wall 24, as formed, the compositereceptacle will be rigid and in those instances where said edges 20 donot contact the side wall 24, as formed, the composite receptacle willalso be rigid and, in handling, will attain greater rigidity by reasonof the fact that the edges 20 will be urged into contact with side wall24. Thus, the outer surface of the outer vessel 6 presents for moldingthe multi-wall cup 2 a substantially greater area to the holder of thecup while, at the same time, providing a larger air space volume thanordinarily obtainable with the prior corrugated cups.

As is clearly evident here, the air spaces 22 and air space 26 provide ahighly eflicient thermally insulating volume between the inner and outervessels. Also, the cup still retains rigidity, mechanical strength, andresistance to breaking upon handling by reason of the use 4 of both theorganic plastic material as a material of construction and the flutedstructure, and this in spite of the fact that the side and bottom wallsof the respective inner and outer vessels are relatively thin and alsomore so when the edges 20 are urged into contact with the side wall 24.

In addition, the inner and outer vessels can be easily and economicallyassembled by reason of the presence of the respective lips, asherinabove described. In assembling the multi-wall cup 2 of myinvention, the inner and outer vessels [are formed by well known moldingprocedures and apparatus} 4 and 6 are formed by employing known plasticmolding procedures and apparatuses such as those denominated vacuum andpressure forming capable of forming the thin seamless walls of therespectz've vessels 4 and 6. The inner vessel 4 is then merelypositioned within outer vessel 6 and remains suspended therein by reasonof the lip 8 being positioned on and in contact with lip 10, and the lip8 is then joined to lip it).

As is clearly noted in the appended drawings, referring to theembodiment of FIGURE 1, the flutes 18 are substantially directedadjacent to each other and are substantially similarly shaped and areoutwardly extending with respect to the side wall of the inner vessel 4.

Referring to the embodiment of FIGURE 7, the multiwall cup 36 consistsof the inner vessel 4 and the outer vessel 40, each of said vesselsbeing substantially cylindrically shaped as clearly shown in theappended drawings. The cup 36 of this embodiment, as is clearly evident,also has, as component parts thereof, the inner vessel 4- having thecircumferentially outwardly extending substantially flat lip 8 and thebottom wall 12. However, the side wall 42 of the outer vessel 40 isprovided with spaced apart inwardly vertically extending flutes 44,preferably curved, as clearly shown in FIGURE 9. Positioned between saidfiutes 44 are the vertically extending lands 46, thereby forming the airspaces 48 between the side wall 42 of outer vessel 40 and the side wall24 of the inner vessel 4. Also, there are thereby formed the air spaces52 between the lowermost portion 54 of flutes 44 and the hand holdingthe cup 36 at the lands [46]. As, in the embodiment of FIGURE 1, herethe bottom Wall 12 of inner vessel 4 is preferably flat, and the bottomwall 56 of outer vessel 40 is preferably concave, thereby formingtherebetween air space 58. Integral with outer vessel 40 is thecircumferentially extending substantially flat lip 60 complementary withrespect to lip 8 and in contact with and attached, for example, as byheat sealing, to lip 8. The lowermost portions 54 may or may not contactthe side wall 24 of inner Vessel 4.

As in the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the inner and outer vessels of theembodiment of FIGURE 7 can be easily and economically assembled byreason of the respective lips, as hereinabove described.

In the partaking of the contents from the multi-wall receptacles of myinvention, the hand of the individual so partaking is positioned aboutthe outer vessel as clearly shown by dotted lines in FIGURES 3 and 9,the thumb 62 and the forefinger 64 of the right hand of the holder beingpositioned as therein shown. In the embodiment of FIGURE 1, the thumb,on one hand, and the forefinger and other fingers of the holding hand,on the other hand, exert respective opposing forces against thelowermost portions 28 of the outwardly extending flutes 18 therebycausing the edges 20, 20 to touch the side wall 24 of inner vessel 4.Between the holding hand and portions of the flutes 18 are air spaces66, thereby further thermally insulating the holding hand from thecontents thereof. Also, as is clearly apparent, the flutes 18 addstrength and lend rigidity to the overall combination, especially duringhandling of same.

Likewise, with respect to the embodiment of FIGURE. 7, during thepartaking of the contents from the multi-wall receptacle 40, the thumb62, on one hand, and the fore-- finger and other fingers of the holdinghand, on the other hand, exert respective opposing forces against thelands 46 thereby causing the innermost and outermost portions 54 offlutes 44 to touch the side wall 24 of inner vessel 4 thereby lendingadditional rigidity to the composite structure. Between the holding handand the flutes 44 are the air spaces 52, thereby further thermallyinsulating the holding hand from the contents thereof. Again, as isclearly apparent, the flutes 44 add strength and lend rigidity to theoverall combination, especially during handling of same.

As is clearly obvious, the configuration and dimensions of the flutes inthe outer vessel of my multi-wall receptacle are capable of changedepending upon the nature of the contents to be confined therein. Forexample, the depth of the respective flutes can be increased ordecreased as can the distance therebetween, thereby changing the volumeof the air spaces therearound and thereby changing the distance from theholding hand to the contents therein.

Many changes and alterations may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of this invention which is set forth in the appendedclaims which are to be construed as broadly as possible in view of theprior art.

I claim:

1. A multi-wall thermally insulating and substantially rigid receptacleadapted to be used as a drinking cup, comprising, in combination, anorganic plastic material cup-shaped outer vessel having a bottom walland a substantially similarly shaped organic plastic material cupshapedinner Vessel having a bottom wall and being suspendedly positionedwithin said outer vessel, said respective bottom walls being spaced fromeach other, said outer vessel having an outwardly turned substantiallyflat lip and said inner vessel having an outwardly turned substantiallyflat lip complementary with respect to said lip of said outer vessel,said outer vessel lip being in contact with and fixedly attached to, atits top surface, said inner vessel lip, at its bottom surface, saidouter vessel having side wail adjacent shaped flutes for at least aportion of its height, whereby there are formed a plurality of shapedair spaces between the respective side walls of the vessels and an airspace between the respective bottom walls of the vessels and a pluralityof shaped air spaces between the outer vessel and the hand holding saidreceptacle thereby thermally insulating the contents of the receptaclefrom the hand holding it and whereby said flutes add strength andrigidity to the receptacle.

2. A multi-wall thermally insulating and substantially rigid receptacleadapted to be used as a drinking cup, comprising, in combination, anorganic plastic material cup-shaped outer vessel having a bottom walland a substantially similarly shaped organic plastic material cupshapedinner vessel having a bottom wall and being suspendedly positionedwithin said outer vessel, said respective bottom walls being spaced fromeach other, said outer vessel having an outwardly turned substantiallyflat lip and said inner vessel having an outwardly turned substantiallyflat lip complementary with respect to said lip of said outer vessel,said outer vessel lip being in contact with and fixedly attached to, atits top surface, said inner vessel lip, at its bottom surface, saidouter vessel having side wall adjacent shaped flutes for at least aportion of its height and being spaced from said inner vessel, wherebythere are formed a plurality of shaped air spaces between the respectiveside Walls of the vessels and an air space between the respective bottomwalls of the vessels and a plurality of shaped air spaces between theouter vessel and the hand holding said receptacle thereby thermallyinsulating the contents of the receptacle from the hand holding it andwhereby said flutes add strength and rigidity to the receptacle.

3. A multi-wall thermally insulating and substantially rigid receptacleadapted to be used as a drinking cup, comprising, in combination, anorganic plastic material cup-shaped outer vessel including side walladjacent shaped flutes for at least a portion of its height and asubstantially similarly shaped organic plastic material cupshaped innervessel suspendedly positioned within said outer vessel, and having aplurality of shaped air spaces between the respective side walls of saidvessels and an air space between the respective bottom Walls of thevessels, said outer vessel having an outwardly turned substantially flatlip at its top and said inner vessel having an outwardly turnedsubstantially flat lip at its top complementary with respect to and incontact with and fixedly attached to said outer vessel lip, whereby thecontents of the receptacle is thermally insulated from the hand holdingit and whereby said flutes add strength and rigidity to the receptacle.

4. A multi-wall thermally insulating and substantially rigid receptacleadapted to be used as a drinking cup, comprising, in combination, asubstantially cylindrical organic plastic material outer vesselincluding side wall adjacent shaped flutes for at least a portion of itsheight and a substantially cylindrical organic plastic material innervessel suspendedly positioned within said outer vessel, and having aplurality of shaped air spaces between the respective vessel side wallsand an air space between the respective vessel bottom Walls, said outerVessel having an outwardly turned substantially flat lip at its top andsaid inner vessel having an outwardly turned substantially flat lip atits top complementary with respect to and in contact with and fixedlyattached to said outer vessel lip, whereby the contents of thereceptacle is thermally insulated from the hand holding it and wherebysaid flutes add strength and rigidity to the receptacle.

5. A multi-wall thermally insulating and substantially rigid receptacleadapted to be used as a drinking cup, comprising, in combination, anorganic plastic material cup-shaped outer shell having a substantiallyflat outwardly turned lip and an organic plastic material cupshapedliner suspendedly positioned in said outer shell, said liner having asubstantially flat outwardly turned lip positioned against and fixedlyattached to the outer shell lip, said outer shell having side walladjacent shaped flutes for at least a portion of its height, said outershell being spaced from said liner at the side and bottom walls thereof,whereby there are formed a plurality of shaped air spaces between therespective side walls of the vessels and an air space between therespective bottom walls of the Vessels thereby thermally insulating thecontents of the receptacle from the hand holding it and whereby saidflutes add strength and rigidity to the receptacle.

6. A multi-Wall thermally insulating and substantially rigid receptacleadapted to be used as a drinking cup, comprising, in combination, anorganic plastic material cup-shaped outer shell having a substantiallyflat outwardly turned lip and an organic plastic material cupshapedliner suspendedly positioned in said outer shell, said liner having asubstantially flat outwardly turned lip positioned against and fixedlyattached to the outer shell lip, the organic plastic material of one ofthe outer shell and the liner being high impact strength polystyrene,said outer shell having side wall adjacent shaped flutes for at least aportion of its height, said outer shell being spaced from said liner atthe side and bottom Walls thereof, whereby there are formed a pluralityof shaped air spaces between the respective side Walls of the vesselsand an air space between the respective bottom walls of the vesselsthereby thermally insulating the contents of the receptacle from thehand holding it and whereby said flutes add strength and rigidity to thereceptacle.

7. A disposable double wall receptacle comprising: inner and outervessels of thin-wall seamless construction formed of organic plastic andattached one to the other to form a unitary receptacle; said innervessel having a bottom and a sidewall; said inner vessel sidewallterminating in a top portion; said outer vessel having a bottom and asidewall; said outer vessel sidewall having shaped adjacent flutesextending over a lower portion of the height of said sidewall and havinga top portion extending over a minor portion of the height of saidsidewall; the flutes of said outer sidewall being in a juxtapositionwith relation to said inner vessel sidewall; said flutes forming aseries of air spaces positioned between the vessels and a series of airspaces positioned between the outer vessel and the hand holding thereceptacle; said flutes merging into said outer vessel top portion; saidflutes and the air spaces formed thereby characterized by thermallyinsulating the contents of the receptacle from the hand holding thereceptacle; at least a part of said outer vessel top portion being incircumferential contiguous relationship with at least a part of saidinner vessel top portion to prevent jree communication of the definedair spaces of the flutes with the atmosphere; said sidewalls of thevessels being of such thinness and construction so as to providesubstantial mechanical stability yet to permit the urging inwardly ofsaid outer vessel sidewall to close any space separating the innermostportions thereof and the inner vessel sidewall upon normal grasping bythe hand of the holder.

8. A double wall receptacle comprising: inner and outer vessels ofthin-wall seamless construction formed of organic plastic and attachedone to the other to form a unitary receptacle; said inner vessel havinga bottom portion and a substantially smooth sidewall portion; said innervessel sidewall portion terminating in a lip extending outwardly of thewall of the outer vessel; said outer vessel having a bottom portion, anda sidewall portion of substantially the same thickness as the innervessel sidewall portion; said sidewall portion of said outer vesselcomprising a series of vertical flutes extending from the bottom of theouter vessel to a point adjacent the top of the outer vessel and forminga series of air spaces between the inner and outer vessels; said flutesmerging at the top thereof into a smooth portion extendingcircumferentially of said receptacle; said outer vessel smooth portionterminating in a lip extending outwardly of said smooth portion andbeing adapted to underlie at least a portion of said outwardly extendinglip of said inner vessel; said lip of said outer vessel being incontiguous relationship with said lip of said inner vessel so as toprevent free communication of the air spaces with the atmosphere; saidsidewall portions of said vessels being of such thinness so as tonormally provide substantial mechanical stability while permitting theinnermost portions of said flutes to be urged into contact with saidsidewall portions of said inner vessel to close any space existingtherebetween upon normal grasping by the hand of the holder.

References Cited in the file of this patent or the original patentUNITED STATES PATENTS 1,771,765 Benson July 29, 1930 2,591,578 McNealyApr. 1, 1952 2,853,222 Gallagher Sept. 23, 1958 2,863,585 Meshberg Dec.9, 1958 2,895,636 Martin July 21, 1959 2,899,098 Gits Aug. 11, 19592,942,301 Price June 28, 1960

